This Means War!
by CJ10
Summary: (New Chapter Up!) It all started with a paintball match.......... Chlex
1. GI JANE

Title: This Means War

Author: CJ

Rating: PG-13 to be safe

Spoilers: none

Pairing: Chloe/other (Chlex eventually)

Summary: Chloe gets convinced into participating in a paintball match and 

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, except for Denton and Russell.

Notes: I'm sorry for the horrible grammar, but English isn't my native language. Plus, this is my first fic, so please be gentle...

**Part one:**** GI JANE**

*OOF*

Chloe stumbled a bit as a body bumped into her from behind and she turned to shoot Whitney a heated glare.

"Watch it, Fordman," she whispered hotly.

He held up his hands in surrender and even in the darkness, with nothing but the moon to cast a mysterious glow upon them, he could see her roll her eyes at him and grinned.

Ignoring the annoying jock and resuming her cautious stalking, Chloe was forced to question herself for the tenth time that evening what the hell she was doing there, creeping through the Smallville woods in the dead of the night.

When Pete had told her and Clark earlier that day that Jarod Russell, the new guy in town who was on his team, had organised a paintball game and he wanted them to come along, she was reluctant to give in, but the puppy look from her best friend was unable to resist. Sure enough, Clark had immediately invited Lex Luthor, who (surprisingly enough) agreed.

´The meteor rocks must've finally fried that billionaire brain of his,´ she mused.

Pete had to practically drag her to the meeting point, which was near the old windmill, with her trying to escape every time she thought he wasn't paying attention. Unfortunately for her, he didn't let her out of his sight, and they finally arrived at the sight.

Once there, Chloe almost had a heart attack. The place was swamped with either members of the football team, or sporting some other testosterone game that seemingly required the brain capacity of an ape.

´This must be cheerleader heaven,´ she snorted. ´Being the only girl within a mile radius while surrounded by jocks.´

Among the many cars, she had spotted Clark's truck, parker right next to gorgeous silver Porsche that was probably worth more than her house. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the expensive vehicle belonged to the youngest Luthor, especially if you consider the license plate screaming LEX right in your face.

´God! If his ego gets any bigger, we'd all be crushed!´

After Jarod Russell, the mind behind the whole event, had finished explaining the rules and distributing the paintball-guns, everyone had been divided into teams. For some strange reason, Jarod chose her to be in his team, together with James Denton and Whitney Fordman. Ofcourse, (to torture her, she was sure) Lex, Pete and Clark had been allowed to stay together as a group.

Chloe had been ready to sneak off, just as she was struck by an idea. A brilliant one for that matter. She would be able to get sweet revenge on her friends for convincing her into doing this by beating them in the paintball game. And kicking her boss´ ass also didn't seem that unattractive to her. She could torture them with this for years. Even the thought of it made her nervous with anticipation. Plus, the winner was supposed to get a prize.

The sound of an animal pulled her out of her reverie, and she sighed when she realized that it was Whitney making those sounds, signalling to the others that it was safe. ´They take this way too seriously.´

She looked down at her outfit, which consisted of a black top that said GI JANE, ragged, black jeans and a pair of grey sneaker. It was comfortable and still looked presentable, but it did make her stand out among the others. 

Glancing at Fordman out of the corner of her eye, she studied his profile. He was, like all the guys (except for Mr Luthor), dressed in combat clothes, complete with the binoculars and war paint. 

Chloe found it all too ridiculous, but Jarod had refused to begin if she didn't put on any war paint. Not wanting to spoil everybody else's fun, she'd reluctantly complied and he had smeared some black and green stuff onto her face, standing too close to her than necessary. She had noticed the fact, but had been too busy with being embarrassed to give it a second thought.

Soon enough, Russell and Denton joined her and Whitney and they slowly continued on further into the woods, careful not to make any loud noises that would give their position away to the other teams. Normally, it would've been hilarious to see the three most popular guys in school hide behind trees and bushes and raising their paintball guns at even the slightest breeze, but at the moment, it was difficult to find humour in the situation.

~TBC~

So whatcha think? Hate it? Love it? Wanna read the next chapter, or do you think its rubbish? Please REVIEW and let me know. I need feedback! I live on feedback! Feedback will make me write faster!


	2. Caffeine Withdrawal and Jocks

Notes: Thanx for all the great feedback everybody! Michelle, you can be sure the guys will ALL get what's coming for them. And Trouble, do you really think I'd pass up the chance to give Lex some good asskicking? grins That guy seriously needs to be put into perspective, and who better to do it than Chloe?? Putting Whitney on the team wasn't just because I wanted to include him in the story. Just like you, Scifichick, I think it would be fun to get him more involved in the plot, but I don't want to give anything away. You really, really wanna find out what will happen next? Well, there's only one thing you can do about that.... Scroll down and enjoy. Hope you all like it!

**part**** two: ****Caffeine Withdrawal and Jocks******

After what seemed like forever (but was in actuality about three hours later), they'd already encountered three other teams and disabled them quite easily. The adrenaline rush that accompanied their victories filled her with energy, but eventually, time took its toll, and left her somewhat tired.

Since she wasn't the only one that was feeling the effects of their activities, they found a nice quiet clearing and settled down on the damp grass.

Chloe shivered a little as a cold breeze travelled up her spine, leaving tingling sensations creeping down her back. Apparently, Jarod noticed, 'cause he sat down beside her and lifted his jacket over her shoulders.

Kind of surprised by his action, she just muttered a thanx and went back to studying the dark shadows dancing across the trees. It was mesmerizing, but not enough to keep her from feeling Jarod's eyes boring into her back. Again turning to the guy, she found him grinning at her, showing off his pearly-white teeth.

"What are you so happy about?" She questioned, getting kinda annoyed.

Without replying, he just pulled a couple of Snickers out of his backpack, and tossed two at Whitney and Jamie, who were relaxing a couple of feet away. Chloe eagerly accepted the candy that was handed to her, glad to be able to cross ´starve to death´ off of her day planner.

"My hero," she said squeaked, forgetting that they were supposed to keep quiet, then lowered her voice. "You wouldn't happen to have any coffee in there, would you?" She asked. Jarod just laughed and shook his head, watching her sift through his backpack.

"Sorry, Sullivan. Coffee is not on the menu for tonight. But there is some-"

"Pepsi!" She said triumphantly, holding up a can of Pepsi coke.

Jamie had ´accidentally´ overheard them, and plumped down next to her, still munching on his Snickers. "Hand it over." To Chloe's ears, it sounded way too much like an order, so being the stubborn girl is, she refused and turned her back to him. No jock was gonna order HER around!

Frowning, Denton stuck out an arm and tried to grab the can, but she hit his hand away, giving him a warning glare that made his frown deepen.

"My coke. I found it," she replied, holding it to her chest in a protective manner.

"Kind of a possessive little thing, isn't she?" Jamie said to Whitney.

Fordman laughed, "Man, you've seen nothing yet. Get anywhere near her coffee, and she'll bite your head off!" He had learned from personal experience, when he was helping Lana at the Talon one night. Taking her cup to see if she needed a refill, she'd practically pounced on him. It took over a week for all the bruises to disappear.

Chloe shrugged, "How was I supposed to know you were giving Lana a hand?" She said innocently, then shot up as Jamie again tried to take the Pepsi from her. Scowling at the boy, she took a few steps back, creating a distance between them.

´Ha!´ Chloe thought, smiling victoriously. ´Take THAT!´

Her victory, however, was short-lived as she saw Denton and Russell storming at her, their muscled bodies quickly gaining in on her. Eyes widening, she decided that it may not have been the best idea to keep a Pepsi from two football players....in the middle of the night....in the woods.....

´Oh-oh´

She took off in high speed, going for her paintball gun, since she knew she couldn't outrun them, but before she could make it, two strong arms encircled her waist and she was pulled back. Momentarily, the air was knocked out of her, but when she gazed up, she looked straight into the face of a smirking Jamie.

All the while, Whitney just sat on the sideline and watched the scene play out in front of him, laughing at the commotion over one lousy drink.

`If only I'd brought a camera,´ he mused.

"Let me go!" Chloe shouted, struggling to get free, but Jarod wouldn't budge. He just grinned and motioned for his friend to take the Pepsi from her. It took a while, but after some prying, it was finally released from the blonde's death-grip.

Now, it was Jamie who beamed with pride. "Whatcha gonna do now, Reporter-chick?"

Chloe NEEDED that drink! It had been hours since her last caffeine shot, and if she didn't get any soon, she would start showing signs of withdrawal.

´Time to change tactics,´ she thought and stopped her struggle. She looked like she was about to cry, her bottom lip trembling slightly. Turning her head towards Jarod, since he seemed like the one who was quicker to give in, she stared at him with puppy-dog eyes and pouted a little (just for the effect).

Jarod took one look at her and his heart missed a beat. She looked so adorable. Groaning, he glared at her, but couldn't keep it up for long and his features eventually softened. "You're cruel, Sullivan."

Turning to Denton, he ordered him to give her the Pepsi. Jamie knew that it would be worthless to argue with his friend and handed it over, shooting Jarod an angry look. "Traitor."

Sticking out her tongue (childish, yeah, but he got the message), she brought the Pepsi to her lips and was about to drink of it, when a noise caught her attention.

Immediately, the three boys came into action, grabbing their paintball guns and scanning the perimeter. Chloe followed suit and saw something in the distance. Another team was coming their way, and didn't seem to have spotted them (despite the whole Pepsi-thing).

´Gotcha.´

Motioning to the others, they picked up the rest of their gear and hid behind some trees, waiting in the shadows.

Voices started coming closer and closer.....

~TBC~

I've got one word for ya: REVIEW


	3. Get a Grip!

**Part three: ****Get a grip!******

*Zoof*

Yet another branch hit Lex in the face and he scowled at the boy in front of him. "Mr Ross, I told you the first million times, and I'll say it again. There's a person behind you, so catapulting branches isn't the best of ideas."

"Depends on the person," Pete muttered and saw Clark giving him a warning look. Why had his friend invited Luthor to come along, anyway? Did he just forget about the mutual dislike (to put it lightly) between him and Satan's son?

At the time, Lex was also pondering over what his motives were for agreeing to do this. Right now, he could've been in his mansion, relaxing in front of a warm fireplace, instead of dragging himself through the woods, shooting paint at teenagers.

´Those meteor rocks must've finally fried my brain.'

He shook his head, 'While I'm on the subject: what the hell was going through my mind when I put on this outfit?' Looking down at his black khakis and navy green sweater and groaned. 'If only my father could see me now.'

"So," Clark spoke up, pulling both his friends out of their thoughts. "We've beaten two teams, and three teams were already down, so there's only one left."

"Yep," Pete smiled excitedly. "And we're gonna kick their ass. What do you think we'll win? Russell said there was a prize right? You think it's something big? I mean, the guy doesn't just give a party like anyone else. No, he organizes WWIII! So, it's gotta be a big prize, right?"

Ignoring his friend's rambling, the farmboy asked, "What if Chloe is on the remaining team?" He was feeling rather uneasy at the fact that he'd have to shoot at his best friend, even if it was just paint. But it wasn't her safety he was worried about.....

"We can take hostages," Pete replied, already having everything planned out. "We'll just hit her leg or something, and take her back to the starting point."

"I don't think she'll be too happy about that," Lex piped in, already imagining her screaming, her blonde hair whipping around her face and body covered in red paint. He found the image kind of arousing, so he quickly banned it from his mind.

´Get a grip, Lex!´ he scolded himself.

Just then, a voice from behind startled them and they whipped around.

"Oh shit," all three muttered.

~TBC~

I've got some great ideas as to where this is going, but if you guys come up with anything, feel free to send it to me! And thanx a lot for the great reviews! You have no idea how much I appreciate it! Please don't stop.... Pleazzzzzzzzz


	4. Bad Luck

Notes: OMG! I can't believe how many people like my story! It kinda started out as a joke and I never expected anyone to actually read my crazy writing.... This is amazing! I'll try not to make you guys wait too long for the coming chapters. And just to give you an idea of what the paintball gear looks like, I'll give you two links. Gun: http://paintball.com/reviews/images/pic_556_803_b_.gif        Goggles: http://paintball.com/reviews/images/pic_112_243_b_.gif 

**Part four: ****Bad Luck******

"Looking for me?"

Pete, Lex and Clark could almost see her grin through the goggles and all took a step back when they spotted her (very intimidating) team backing her up, paintball guns trained at their chests.

Jarod stepped forward, taking stance next to Chloe. "Drop your weapons and put your hands behind your head!" He ordered.

The three boys reluctantly complied, looking defeated.

"C'mon Chloe," Pete whined. "We're your best friends!"

She took off her goggles, running a hand true her short, blonde hair. "No," she said, repeating his words before they started the game. "Out here we're enemies. And what do we do with the enemy, boys?"

"Hunt, shoot, kill!" her team yelled, sounding like trained soldiers. It creeped Clark and Pete out even more (if possible).

Whitney went to retrieve the guns from the ground, to make sure nobody would try anything and Jarod also removed his own goggles, revealing a brilliant smirk that would make most girls swoon. Much to his disappointed, it didn't have any affect on the one he actually liked. Chloe was amazing. He had seen her in and around school and even had some classes with her. She had intrigued him from the beginning with her daring style, perkiness and wit. The energy that she possessed seemed to radiate from her, touching everyone around her. It was obvious that she'd give the world for her friends and he didn't want part of that. No, he wanted all of it. All of her concern, all of her love and even all of her wrath. He wanted her to have him in her mind constantly, just as she was in his. But it certainly wasn't the case now. But that was gonna change soon. He was gonna make sure of that.

Lex saw how the jock was staring at her, and frowned. He couldn't quite discern the look on the boy's face.... What was it? Longing? Lust? For some strange reason, the Luthor felt disturbed by it.

'I'm not jealous,' he told himself. 'Just concerned. She is Clark's friend, and if Chloe gets her heart broken by some brainless jock who doesn't know how to appreciate what he's got, it will affect the farmboy. Yes, that's it.'

"Okay," Whitney spoke up. "From now on, you are our hostages! Now, let's get a move on!"

Ushering everyone towards the starting point, together with Jamie, they made Clark, Pete and Lex walk in a line, their hands still behind their heads.

"I can't believe we let them sneak up on us," Pete whispered. "It's all Luthor's fault."

"How is it my fault?" Lex asked in confusion.

"You bring back luck."

"Don't be crazy, Pete," Clark reasoned. "We just weren't paying enough attention."

"Shut up!" Chloe ordered, giving him a push in the right direction, almost making him loose his balance.

She grinned evilly, 'I'm enjoying this way too much.'

~TBC~

You know the drill: No reviews, no new chapter. And remember: This isn't blackmail, it's real life.... g


	5. Bloody Mess

Thanx a lot for the great reviews! Especially that you took the time to send me feedback, with the Christmas-craze going around, and all. I hope you all had a nice holiday, btw!  
  
Part five: A Bloody Mess  
  
"Get back in line!"  
  
"Chloe, this is ridiculous!"  
  
"Look who's talking," she shot back, looking pointedly at Pete's outfit. He sighed, "It's just for fun, Chlo!"  
  
"And I'm really hating bossing you around," she said sarcastically, trying to suppress the enormous grin that was taking over her features.  
  
"You know what," Jarod butted in. "You've got a lot of potential, Sullivan."  
  
"I know," she beamed, waving paintball gun around, making Whitney and Jamie jump back in fear of being hit. "My ultimate goal is world leader!"  
  
"We're doomed," Lex muttered, not really meaning for anyone to hear it. But unfortunately for him, Chloe did.  
  
Without warning, a small fist landed in his face, and he lost his balance, falling right into a huge puddle of mud. There was a silence as everyone stared at the billionaire, before they all started laughing hysterically.  
  
Trying to save some of his remaining dignity, Lex tried to get up, but kept slipping.  
  
"Shouldn't we like, you know.help him?" Chloe asked, between gasps.  
  
"Yeah," Jarod answered, swinging an arm around Chloe's waist. "But let him suffer for a little while longer."  
  
Nobody noticed the closeness between the two, even Chloe didn't pay any attention to it, except for the Luthor, and he narrowed his eyes at the boy. 'How dare he touch her like that,' Lex thought, anger boiling inside of him. 'Why doesn't Chloe see what he's trying to do?'  
  
A look of triumph passed over his face as he finally managed to get up, but as soon as he tried to get out of the large puddle, he lost his footing, crashing into the mud once again. Cursing loudly, he glared at Clark and Pete, who were still laughing like crazy along with Jamie and Whitney, instead of helping him.  
  
Finally regaining her calm, Chloe decided that the poor guy had had enough of humiliation to last him a lifetime. "C'mon, J, will you help him, for god's sake!"  
  
Jarod sighed dramatically and stepped forward, extending his hand. Lex grinned evilly, and took it, but instead of getting out, he pulled the other guy in with him. Chloe just stood there, in shock, mouth gaping open, trying to process what had just happened.  
  
"Dude!" Denton yelled, eyes wide in surprise. "Did he just do that?"  
  
"What did ya do that for!?" Jarod yelled, wiping the mud off of his face.  
  
Lex just shrugged, "Oops."  
  
Wanting payback, Jarod grabbed a hand full of mud and lunged it at the bald man, who was currently smirking at him in that smug manner of his.  
  
Lex could just barely avoid being hit by the goo and aimed two full hands at the boy, effectively hitting his intended target.  
  
This went on for a while, until Chloe came in between (not literally, ofcourse! She's not crazy!). "Stop acting like two spoiled brats and get your sorry asses out of there! Time's ticking, guys!"  
  
With some help, they managed to crawl out of the puddle and head towards to the starting point once again. The rest went pretty smoothly, with no more interruptions, except for the wild boar trying to kill Lex, and the boys running around in circles, screaming like little girls. Pete had even tried to use Chloe as a shield. She didn't take it that well, and he ended up with a black eye and an angry Jarod.  
  
The other teams, who were waiting for them to get back, were more than surprised when the last two teams arrived, one holding the other as hostages. To be honest, they all looked like a bloody mess. The new kid and the billionaire covered in dry mud, Pete with a severe looking black eye, a Clark who was looking unhealthily pale, two traumatized jocks and a very pissed off reporter!  
  
~TBC~  
  
Whatcha think? I wrote this chapter with the help of my best friend, so most of the credit goes to her and her crazy sense of humour g. I'm not gonna beg you to review, ofcourse. I'm not gonna say pleazzzzzzzz! Or I'll die without feedback! Or Pleazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! That's just not my style g 


	6. Not For Long

**Part six:**** Not for long******

"I cannot believe we won!" Jarod said proudly, after having made sure all of the paintball equipment was taken care off.

"Ofcourse," Chloe said, grinning and giving him a playful wink. "I was on the team, right?"

He just laughed, "Right." Then, with a more serious tone, added, "We're good together."

Chloe raised her eyes to meet his, feeling uneasy at the intensity of his gaze. His handsome face held such a hopeful expression, her mind went blank and she couldn't bring herself to turn away from his beautiful, chocolate brown eyes.

Relief flooded over her, mingled with a tinge of disappointment, as the moment was broken by Whitney, who was totally unaware of their silent interaction.

"So, J-rod, my man," the jock began. "I remember you saying something about a prize......."

* * * * *

"I cannot believe we lost! We had the perfect team!" Pete rambled on to nobody in particular. "Clark, who always seems to sense it if somebody's in the area; Luthor, with his million dollar aim!"

Once again, Clark had to wonder just how many 'wonderful' traits his friend had taken over from their favourite reporter.

"Plus," Pete continued. "I was part of the group, and nobody had ever managed to beat me in those laser games we played in Metropolis last summer!"

"Pete," the farmboy finally interrupted. "We lost. There's nothing more we can do about it. Besides, it's just a game. It's not like the world is gonna end."

Sighing, the other boy gave in, "But what about Chlo?"

"What about Chlo?" Clark asked, confusion marring his features.

"You know she's never gonna let us forget about this. She's gonna rub it in our faces every time we do. Heck, she's gonna rub it in our faces anyway," he said, certainly not looking forward to it, but unable to stop a grin from creeping onto his face. "And I won't put blackmail past her."

"True," Clark admitted with a smile of his own. "But that's why we love her....."

There was a short silence, but then a thought struck him, "Where's Lex?"

* * * * *

In the meantime, Lex had wondered back to his car to exchange the sweater for a royal purple shirt, which he had brought along just in case, and managed to get cleaned up a bit.

Returning to the other, his attention was drawn to Chloe. She was talking and laughing together with Jarod and for the third time that night, a horrible aching sensation coursed through his body. Never before had he felt jealous, and he hated it. He was Lex Luthor. He could have anything and anyone he wanted. And, as he had just found out, he wanted Chloe Sullivan, the teenage daughter of his plant manager, Clark's best friend, and a reporter. It unsettled him. Not so much for these reasons, but for the fact that she didn't seem to jump at the opportunity to be with him. That was yet another reason he liked her. She didn't seem at all impressed by his money, and certainly not by the so-called Luthor Charm.

Suddenly, all thoughts went up in smoke as he saw Jarod and Chloe staring at each other. Neither of them even moved, and he could almost feel the tension from where he was standing. It sparked a rage in him he didn't know he had, and he had to force himself not to storm up to Russell, and kill him with his bare hands.

Just as he was about to loose control and do just that, that Whitney-kid had come between the two and broke Chloe and Jarod from their staring.

Letting out the breath her was unconsciously holding, Lex whirled around as he heard a voice from behind him. "Clark," he said, silently wondering if the boy had seen where he had been looking at.

"Hey! I've been looking for you everywhere." Noticing the tense posture of his friend, contrasting his usual relaxed demeanour, he asked worriedly, "Is there something wrong?"

A small smirked appeared on Lex's face as he took a quick glance at Chloe. "Not for long, Clark. Not for long."

~TBC~

Is my writing getting worse? Can't understand anything because of my horrible grammar? Am I portraying a character totally wrong? Please, I _want to know! Ofcourse, just an encouragement to continue writing is also appreciated g. You still remember my policy? No feedback, no chapter! You took your time to read this story, then please take another 60 seconds to review......_


	7. The Male Intelligence

**Part 7: The Male Intelligence**  
  
  
´Okay, I may have been a little presumptious.´  
  
Lex watched from his booth in the Talon as Chloe joked with her new friends in the corner of the establishment. Ever since the paintbalmatch last week, she and the jocks had been inseperable. Where ever she went, Jarod, Jamie and Whitney couldn´t be far off. The Luthor hadn´t even gotten the chance to talk to her. And he wasn´t the only one feeling abandonned. Clark and Pete were sitting right beside him, also staring at the group longingly. The only time they spent together was during the few classes they shared. They couldn´t even approach her during the lunchbreaks, cuz she was always surrounded by the highschool footbalteam. It was bordering on ridiculous.  
  
"So....," Clark stretched, trying to steer their attention in another direction. "Anyone do anything interesting?"

  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
"No, I´m being serious here!" Jamie defended himself, but the others just laughed harder.

  
"We believe you," Whitney said, slapping his friend heartily on the back and trying to keep a straight face. It didn´t work.  
  
Jamie looked indignant. "But it´s true. Tell them, J-rod!"  
  
Jarod just raised his hands in a defensive manner. "Hey, keep me outta this, man."  
  
Sighing, Jamie gave up. "God, I hate you guys!"  
  
"We love you too, honey," Ace shot back in a sickeningly sweet tone. Jarod had introduced the girl as his sister, and they´d been hanging out ever since. It seemed that they actually had a lot in common. They were both from Metropolis, liked the same music, had the same fashion-sense and shared their caffeine-obsession.  
  
That whole week, she´d been altering her opiniens. She used to think jocks were the proof that evolution CAN go in reverse. However, all that changed after getting to know the three guys that were cramped into the booth with her. Yes, she always knew that Whitney was smarter than bait, but with Jamie.... She used to think that if you stood close enough to him, you could hear the ocean. But they actually turned out to be quite intelligent.  
  
Glancing at the boys, she could just hear them exchange cheesy pick-up lines and rolled her eyes. Okay, they were as intelligent as a guy could get.   
  
"I´m gonna go get myself a refill? Anyone else want anything?"  
  
"Nah."  
  
"Still good."  
  
"No thanx."  
  
Jarod immediately jumped up. "Lemme help you," he offered her, but Chloe pushed him back into his seat.  
  
"I´m quite capable of getting a drink all by myself, thank you." With a grin, she strode over to the counter to order another latté.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


  
The three boys watched as Chloe made her way towards the counter. Clark and Pete were about to head over there as well, when Lex spoke up. "Do you think that´s such a good idea?"  
  
The two teenagers gave him puzzled looks. "Why wouldn´t it be?" Pete questioned.  
  
Lex tilted his head slightly at the two. "How do you think she´ll take to being cornered?"  
  
"But we´re her best friends?" the farmboy said, now thoroughly confused.  
  
Luthor shook his head in feigned frustration. "Eventually, she´ll get bored of those jocks and she's probably missing you already. Before you'll know it, she'll come running back." When they looked like they were about to say something, he quickly added. "On her own accord."  
  
The boys just sat there in silence for a moment, before Clark began speaking again. "But can't we speed it up a little. I mean, lunch breaks just aren't the same without the Queen of Snark on a caffeine high." He appeared to be deep thought, before his young face lit up, a bright smile adorning it. "Why don't you go talk to her? You know, do that whole 'casual' thing you're so good at. You could slip some remarks into the conversation about us missing her, or something!"  
  
A smirk tugged at the corners of Lex's mouth. 'Took him long enough,' he thought. But not wanting to appear too eager, he began with, "I don't think-"  
  
"No, no! That's a great idea!" Pete amended.  
  
"If you insist." Standing up, Lex tried not to grin as he made his way towards the counter, where Chloe stood waiting for her order.  
  
  
  
~TBC~

She's alive! She's ALIVE!! Yes, yes, I am. I know that I haven't been showing any actual signs of life lately, but guess what…….

**I'm BA-ACK**

Thanx to the extroardinary, phenomenal and ingenious Sabby, who got me to continue this fic.


	8. Little Red Riding Hood

**Part eight: Little Red Riding Hood**  
  
  
"Miss Sullivan."  
  
Chloe jumped as an all too familiar voice sounded from behind her. Whirling around, she came face to face with a smirking Lex Luthor. "Could you be any more scary?!"  
  
Plastering a look of shook on his face, he layed a hand over his heart. "You think of me as scary?"  
  
The blonde scoffed slightly, turning back towards the counter. "Not scary, per se. More like creepy." This time, Lex didn´t have to fake his hurt, but instead of letting it show, he quickly covered it up with curiosity. Leaning against the counter, he studied her as she waited for her order.  
  
"And what quality of mine, if I may ask, places me on your creep-list?"  
  
"Okay, let´s see.... unshady past, hangs out with teenagers, Clark Kent´s guru, meteor contact, and let´s not forget that I got thrown out of a window at your manor," she pointed out, waving a little finger at him. "But I said that you were creepy, not a creep, and therefore, you´re still on my indifferent-list."  
  
An eyebrow arched as Lex looked at her in amusement. "What does it take for me to get promoted, Miss Sullivan?" As her latté arrived, she was about to pay, when the billionaire layed a few bills on the counter. He caught the look she was throwing at him, and grinned. "Let me. It´ll be good for my ego."  
  
"As if your ego really needs a boost, Luthor," she shot back, then muttered, "It already rivals the size of Texas." The last part wasn't meant for anybody else's ears, but as she gazed to her right, she could see his eyes gleaming with mirth.   
  
"I like to refer to it as confidence," he responded. Chloe took a large gulp of her drink, seemingly not even noticing the scolding temperature, and rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"You're not exactly known as Mr Popular, are you? So that confidence, as you've so fondly dubbed it, can be the cause of social friction."  
  
A wicked grin formed on his perfect features, and she silently wondered if the devil looked like this just moments before stealing away your innocence. "Are you saying that there can be some social friction between us, Miss Sullivan?" He winked at her playfully and his grin turned into a smirk as he received his desired effect out of her.  
  
Chloe could feel the blush rising to her cheek, and was about to make a snarky reply as she felt a hand on her lower back. Without looking, she already knew who it was and could just stop herself from sighing in relief. She was glad for the interruption, because her little chat with Lex had taken a wrong turn, and although the x-rated thoughts about them having some friction were not a new occurance, it was something else entirely when you're actually standing across from the man.  
  
"Jarod," she said, turning slightly to smile up at the guy beside her. "I thought I said I could survive a trip towards the counter on my own."  
  
Jarod praised the smile with one of his own, and took her moving closer to him as a good sign. Smoothly, he slid his arm around her waist, trying to resist the insane urge to kiss her beautiful face, now so close to his. "And I have total faith in you, but it seems that the big, bad wolf has set his sights on you." He shot a threatening glare towards Lex, who was returning it with full force.  
  
"Are you implying that I'm a little girl in red and that Lex is trying to eat me?" An angered blonde demanded, poking a small finger in her friend's chest. She didn't like being referred to as a helpless girl. Jarod pulled his gaze from the other man and grinned at the sight of a slightly flushed Chloe in his arms.  
  
"You're anything but little," he said, letting his gaze trail down her body in an appreciating manner. Unfortunately for him, she took it the wrong way and tore herself away from him, setting her cup down on the counter to place her hands on her hips and letting her eyes shoot daggers at him.  
  
"Are you saying that I'm fat, Russell?"  
  
His eyes grew wide and he shook his head furiously. "No, no, of course not."  
  
Lex smirked as he watched the scene in front of him, thoroughly enjoying the boy's desperation.  
  
Jarod carefully took a small step forward, not daring to come too close to her in case she might bite his head off. "Chlo, please," he urged her. "You're beautiful." Turning towards the corner booth, he yelled: "What's Sullivan?" in his friends' direction.  
  
"Hot!" Both Whitney and Jamie shouted, followed by an "Ouch!" as Ace whacked her boyfriend across the head and Fordman starting laughing. "Ouch!" Ace sat back contently when the two guys were pathetically whimpering in front of her.  
  
"See," Jarod pressed, grinning slightly. Even Chloe couldn't contain her amusement towards their idiotic, but sweet nevertheless, friends.  
  
"Okay," she relented. "But no more fairy tales!"  
  
"I promise." Glancing at his watch, he almost freaked when he saw the time. "Sh#t! We're late for practice. Coach is gonna kill us!" He was already at the door, dragging the others along, when he realized that they were short one member. "Chlo, weren't you going to catch a ride with us?"  
  
She sighed dramatically, and grabbed her bag from the booth, then walked back towards the Luthor, who seemed shocked. "What?" she snapped in irritation.  
  
"I never thought you would actually go to a football practice for fun," he said, quickly masking his surprise.  
  
"You're right, I wouldn't. But I'm supposed to interview coach Reynolds about why the Smallville Crows are going to win the state finals this year." She made a face. He nodded in understanding. "Well, Mr Luthor, it was a pleasure."  
  
He grinned wickedly, "The pleasure was all mine, Miss Sullivan"  
  
After flashing one last bright smile, she disappeared from the Talon, leaving the billionaire staring after her. He just stood there for what seemed like forever, untill something suddenly sprang to mind. Clark and Pete. He'd totally forgotten about them. Walking over to their booth, he joined them yet again.  
  
"Well...," Pete finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had ensued.  
  
Lex frowned. "Well what?"  
  
"How did she react when you told her we miss her?" Clark nudged, also impatient.  
  
'Huh?' "She misses you too."  
  


  
  
~TBC~

Did you like this chapter? Well, did ya? Then you know you have to do, don't ya?

***Save humanity! Feed the Chlex-obsessed fanfiction-writer!*******


	9. Who Killed Mac

**Part Nine: Who Killed Mac**  
  
  
"What´s the deal with you and Sullivan?"  
  
Jarod looked up to see Whitney enter the locker room and frowned. "What do you mean?" The rest of the team was already outside, playing on the field.  
  
His friend just shot him an ´Oh please!' look and sat down beside him. "You know d@mn well what I mean, Russell."  
  
"We´re just friends."  
  
Whitney just stared at him rather creepily, not blinking. After a while, Jarod couldn´t take it anymore. "I like her, okay!"  
  
With a sigh, the blonde shook his head in frustration. "We all like her. But you _like_ her. Look, I've known you since we were kids-"  
  
The other cut him off, thoroughly confused. "I just moved here."  
  
Whitney just dismissed the fact with a wave of his hand. "Details. What matters is that if you want there to be more between you and Sullivan, you have to take action, man. Even if it means putting your friendship on the line." He halted, seeing the indecision shining in his friend's eyes. "You know she's worth it."  
  
Jarod seemed to ponder his words for a while, until he looked up again, a small smile adorning his handsome face. "When did you become so smart?"  
  
The serious expression Whitney wore before was broken by a huge grin. "I guess a certain reporter rubbed off on me. And the fact that any idiot can see what a catch Sullivan is helped too."  
  
Jarod chuckled, "Thanx, man."  
  
"No prob."  
  
The silence that had descended on them was broken as a booming voice came from outside the locker room. "Russell! Fordman! Get your sorry asses on the field! Now!"  
  
"Shit," Whitney whispered. "Coach is really pissed." At this point, he was already sprinting towards the exit with Jarod close behind. "I guess he didn't like how the interview went."  
  
"Chlo probably started asking about grade alterations again."  
  
  
*** * * * ***  
  
  
"AHHH!!!"  
  
A high-pitched scream echoed through the empty halls of Smallville High, followed by a small explosion. Inside the Torch office, a computer had just blown up. The cause seemed to be a mystery, until........  
  
A blonde head peeked out from behind the desk and green eyes darted around, trying to see through the smoke that had filled the office. Chloe Sullivan slowly climbed to her feet, and hesitantly approached her still sizzling ex-iMac.  
  
'Maybe the Principle won't notice,' she thought hopefully, then jumped back as a spark came her way, and the computer gave a defeated sound.  
  
Carefully inspecting the damage from a safe distant, she finally came to the conclusion that it had died.  
  
"Oh-oh."  
  
***RING***  
  
Chloe shrieked and dove behind her desk again as another sound pierced the air. It took her a while to realize that it was her mobile phone, and not a dying printer. Scrambling to her purse to get a hold of her cell, she answered with a shaky: "Hello?"  
  
There was a pause on the other line, before a worried voice asked her, "What's wrong?" Although she wasn't familiar with the obvious concern in his tone, she could recognize that voice anywhere.  
  
"Mr Luthor," she stumbled, silently cursing herself for sounding like a bumbling idiot. "No, no, nothing's wrong! It's just...." She poked at her iMac with a pencil, making a face. "I think I killed Mac."  
  
There was some rustling on the other side, and Lex was already halfway towards his car, when he spoke again. "Listen, Chloe, just stay where you are. I'm on my way. Don't worry about it, I'll take care of everything."  
  
Chloe frowned as he hung up and stared at the cell for a while. 'Strange man,' she thought, then shrugged it off and turned her attention back to the computer, sighing loudly.  
  
"Not only do I have to start all over again, I also need to beg the school for another computer," she mumbled, remembering how it had crashed, before she had the chance to save her nearly finished article on the Smallville Crows. It was hard enough to write enthousiastically about some stupid ballgame once, but twice? And the principle already had a dislike against the Torch; he'd never give her a new pc. "I am so screwed," she muttered, letting herself sink into a nearby chair and placing her head in her hands.  
  
This was how Lex found her a little while later as he barged into the office. He coughed a little, waving away the remainder of smoke and scanning the room. In a few quick strides, he was by her side, kneeling next to her chair.  
  
Chloe, who had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed his arrival, looked up in surprise as she felt a warm hand on her knee, rubbing it slightly in a comforting manner. Her eyes widened when she saw the man at her feet, looking back at her with those beautiful, gray eyes. "What-" she began, but was cut off as he put a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her.  
  
"You don't have to say anything. Just tell me where the body is," he told her calmly, his gaze traveling through the office. As he saw the computer on the floor, he immediately came to the conclusion that there had been a struggle and clenched his jaw, his formerly gentle grip on her knee tightening considerably. "Are you okay?"  
  
Chloe did her best not to shiver as his eyes ran over her body, silently wishing he'd done it for reasons other than checking her for any injuries, but the feel of his warm hand on her leg wasn't really helping. She frowned, 'Body?' Assuming he meant the pc, she pointed in that direction. "Over there, and I'm okay."  
  
Letting out a small sigh of relief, his eyes followed to where she was indicating and now it was his turn to be confused. His face registered shock as the realization suddenly hit him. "That's…….?"  
  
She nodded an affirmative. "Mac," she said sadly.  
  
  
TBC

*** * * * ***

**Okay, this is the deal:**

_NO REVIEWS_  **means ** _DEPRESSED WRITER_

_DEPRESSED WRITER_  **means**  _NO NEW CHAPTER**!!!**_

****

No, this is not **blackmail**. This is **Fanfic Life**. Isn't it great!?  J


	10. Pardon My French

**Chapter ten: Pardon My French**  
  
  


  
Chloe Sullivan watched as an array of emotions flashed over Lex's face. First surprise, then realization, followed closely by a sheepish look.  
  
'Well, as sheepish as Lex Luthor can get, I suppose,' she thought to herself, not quite believing how adorable the man looked right now. "What did you think I was talking about?" She questioned, wondering what had been going on in his head that a simple revelation could get such an interesting response from him.  
  
This jerked him out of his reverie, and his head snapped up to stare at her as his brain tried to process what she had just said. "What? I-uh…," clearing his throat, he stood up, offering her a hand. "How did this happen?" he asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
Chloe eyed the man with a hint of amusement. "Very subtly, Mr Luthor. But this once, I'll let it slide." Taking his hand, she got to her feet, holding onto him just a bit longer than necessary. "After all, you did Speedy Gonzales all the way over here. As for how Mac was sent to pc-heaven…," she trailed off, shuffling her feet nervously. "You wouldn't believe me if I told ya."  
  
Lex just nodded, not really listening, too busy reminding himself of the calls he had to cancel now that the situation was under control (his ego didn't allow him to think of the situation as non-existing). Finally glancing at the blonde, he could see that she was staring at the ex-computer. Instinctively, he told her. "I'll buy you a new one."  
  
Chloe frowned up at him. "I wasn't worrying about that, but thanks."  
  
"Then what were you?"  
  
"Was I what?"  
  
"Worrying about."  
  
Walking past him, she opened a few windows, trying to get the smell of burned plastic out of the office. "All the articles of the next Torch edition were on that pc. There's no way we're gonna get everything finished before the deadline."  
  
Lex felt something tug at his heart as he saw the defeated look on the young woman's face. Normally, it wouldn't have made any difference to him if some school paper got into trouble, but he knew how much she cared for the Torch. Her Torch. "I've never know you as a quitter, Miss Sullivan," he remarked, mentally kicking himself for automatically switching back to formal names.  
  
Leaning against the desk in front of him, she accidentily took his comment the wrong way and gave him an angry look. "What am I supposed to do? What can I possibly scrape together in two days? Let's say that I miraculously manage to fill a whole edition! It would be sh#t! Pardon my French, but come on!" She said, quickly turning from slightly depressed to downright irritated. Her hair flipped from side to side as she motioned wildly in the air, talking with her hands in that passionate way of hers, and Lex could feel himself becoming turned on by the fire in her eyes. "The Principle is gonna love taking my baby away from me. He already thinks of it as crap! What were his exact words again? Ah yes: 'It's a disgrace to Smallville High and it's a wonder that people even read this ridiculous excuse of a school paper.' That ass! Do you think it's crap?"  
  
All he could do was shake his head dumbly. He had to get her to calm down, because his body was having an, although not unpleasant, rather inappropriate effect to the way her chest heaved as the delicious blonde in front of him continued on with her heated rambling. "Maybe I can help."  
  
Taking a deep breath, she just stared at him like he had just said the most absurd thing in the history of Smallville. "You should loosen that tie because it's cutting off the oxygen to your brain, Luthor. Don't you hate reporters? And now you're suggesting you do some reporting of your own?" She huffed. "Excuse me for being skeptic, but this is not something I hear everyday."  
  
"Actually," he replied, correcting her. "I had something else in mind."  
  
Narrowing her eyes, Chloe eyes him suspiciously. "And what, pray tell, does the great Lex Luthor have in mind?"  
  
A small smirk crept upon his handsome features. "An interview."  
  
"You're offering me an interview?" she asked in disbelief, not quite trusting her own hearing. This only served to widen his smirk.  
  
"A long interview. We want to fill the Torch, right?"  
  
'I can think of something else you can fill.' She frowned inwardly. "Where the hell did that come from!?' "Right."  
  
"When did you say the deadline was?"  
  
"Four PM tomorrow."  
  
"I can't tonight. I have business in Metropolis, so in the morning-"  
  
Chloe cut him off. "But what about school?"  
  
Raising an eyebrow, he asked her with false hurt. "You'd rather be in school than spend time with me?"  
  
"Nooo," she stretched, soudning slighty annoyed. "It's just that I'm surprised that Lex Luthor would openly admit to corrupting an innocent girl."  
  
He let out a laugh. "Miss Sullivan, you are neither innocent, nor a girl anymore."  
  
Chloe glared at him, but couldn't help but feel proud that he didn't think of her as some little girl, but as a woman. Granted, young, but a woman nevertheless. "So, when should I come?"  
  
Images of her 'coming' flashed through his mind, and he had to bite back a groan. "How about ten AM? Would that work for you?"  
  
"Yes, it would."  
  
By this time, he was already halfway to the door. "It's a date," he said; back still towards her to hide the large smile that had taken over his features. "Till then, Miss Sullivan."  
  
"Yeah, till then." Just as she sat down behind her desk, her attention was once again pulled towards the doorway.  
  
"Oh, and Miss Sullivan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Have a good night."  
  
Matching his smirk with one of her own, she nodded. "You too, Mr Luthor."  
  
And he was gone.  
  
  
  
TBC

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Review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review.

And in case you didn't hear me: PLEASE REVIEW! gives her best puppy look


	11. Romo, O Romo!

Don't read! DON'T!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
**Chapter 12: Romo, O Romo!**  
  
  
*TOK*  
  
………  
  
*TOK*  
  
Chloe groaned as her eyes fluttered upen, blinking in the darkness of her room. Ignoring her body's protests, she slowly sat up on the bed, casting a quick glance at her clock. What the hell could've awoken her at 4:13 in the morning? Sighing, she rubbed her temples, remembering the amazing dream she'd been having. Oh god, it was almost as if she could still feel Lex's teasing lips on hers, still feel the muscles rippling beneath her fingertips as she glided her hands down the smooth surface of his godly back-  
  
*TOK*  
  
The small noise brought her back to reality and a small frown settled on her features as she climbed out of bed, dragging herself over to the window to peek through the curtains. A whole damn army could've been standing at her front door, and she wouldn't have been any more surprised!  
  
"Jarod?"  
  
The jock, who was about to throw another stone, looked up to see a sleepy blonde staring down at him, shock written all over her face. "Sloe!" he exclaimed in triumph as she opened her window, stretching his arms out towards her, looking like an even bigger idiot.  
  
"Jarod, what the hell are you doing here at this hour?" she hissed, and the smile he flashed her was so huge, she was afraid it was going to break his face in two.  
  
"Ahm he'e foh yu," he told her as if it explained everything, slurring incredibly. Even though he couldn't see it, she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Amazingly enough, I already knew that," she snapped sarcastically, but it didn't look like he'd as much as heard her. Narrowing her eyes, she took in his almost giddy appearance, unable to overlook the fact that whenever he took one step closer to the house, it took him another three to reclaim his balance. "Are you drunk?"  
  
"Ah wiss'd yu."  
  
Shooting him an incredulous look, she was about to reply when something caught her eye, drawing her attention away from the totally pissed Jarod. Her mouth almost dropped to the floor at what she saw. 'You have GOT to be kiddin' me!'  
  
From out of nowhere, a figure appeared, crawling towards Jarod while holding an uprooted 'bush' in front of him to cover himself from being spotted. It might've worked, too, if the 'bush' hadn't been a scrawny twig with a few dead leaves, and it happened everyday that you saw them moving around your front yard.  
  
"Say i'," a third voice whispered to Jarod, who just frowned, a confused look on his face.  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Say i'." Louder this time.  
  
Turning to the gaping Chloe, the wobbly jock muttered a quick "Scuse me" before diving behind the 'bush', obviously unaware that he was still in plain sight.  
  
"Say wha we bin prasutin," the figure hissed, still loud enough for the stunned blonde to hear. Finally seeming to realize what the other guy was trying to tell him, Jarod started nodding vigorously, his head still bouncing as he attempted to get to his feet again. After a few tries, he managed and brushed some dirt off his jeans, only achieving in making it worse.  
  
Clearing his throat loudly, he began, "Romo, O Romo, whe-…whe-…." there was a pause as he tried to remember what came next. An almost goofy smile crept onto her face as he found it. "Whe'e arr ya, Romo- ow!"  
  
"Wong lines!"  
  
……  
  
"Wong lines!" When the figure still didn't get a response, he threw the 'bush' aside and stood up, making it easier for Chloe to make out his face and confirm her suspicions.  
  
"Call me bu' luv, an' Ahl be new bapsized." Whitney spoke into the night, waving his hands around to empathize his slurred words.  
  
'Okay,' Chloe thought, squeezing her eyes shut tightly and turning around. 'This isn't happening. I'm just having some sick and very, VERY twisted dream where two drunk guys are standing below my window, totally trashing William Shakespeare!' Carefully, she opened her eyes and peeked out the window again, only to see that Jarod and Whitney were lying on the ground, busying themselves with something that looked suspiciously like counting grass straws. "Oh god. I knew I should've sticked with Clark and Pete!"  
  
TBC  
  
  


  
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Thereis just no way this can be said enough: Please review. Please? Pwetty pwease?


	12. Ooooooo I get it!

Yes! Another chapter! Finally!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
**Chapter 12: Oooooo... I get it!**  
  
  
  
"C'mon! Help me out here! I can't do this alone, and I've only had about three hours of shut-eye and NO caffeine! And to top it all off, I have an interview with Lex Luthor tomorrow! How would it look if I fell asleep in that big, fancy office of his!?"  
  
Yes, she knew she was yelling into the phone, but it was all she could do to keep herself from just kicking the drunken boys out of her place and collapsing onto her bed, getting back to her Sexy Lexy dreams. She'd been trying to convince Ace to come over to her house for about 15 minutes now, and all she got was groggy no's and leave me alone's.  
  
A sound captured her attention and she let her gaze drift towards Jarod, only to see him spread out across the window, buzzing, pretending to be a fly. 'Guess he's been promoted. First Jock, now an insect.' Shaking her head in annoyance, she focussed on her friend's words filtering through the receiver.  
  
"Okay, okay, anything to shut you up, Chlo. You're giving me a migraine," the girl on the other end groaned, followed by a series of rustling noises. A victorious smile took over Chloe´s face and she added a quick ´hurry´, before ending the call. With a sigh of partial relief, she walked out of the kitchen and slumped onto the couch in the living room, closing her eyes in an attempt to rid herself of the constant throbbing in her head. However, Jarod´s loud buzzing helped her out of that delusion and she resigned herself to watching tv instead. Jumping from channel to channel, she only found herself getting more depressed. God, how she hated infomercials. Thank god for MTV! Tuning in on some new artist´s pathetic excuse of a breakthrough, she just found herself getting comfortable when.......  
  
´Okay, maybe if I ignore it, it´ll stop.´ Long pause. ´Or not.´ Getting more and more annoyed by the second, she slowly counted to ten, trying not to explode. Wacking them across the head with a shovel and digging a few graves in the backyard suddenly seemed dangerously appealing and the most sensible, not to mention pleasurable, option.  
  
Letting out a frustrated growl, she averted her eyes from the television and glanced in the direction of the entryway, confirming her suspicions.  
  
Whitney stood there on two shaky legs, fumbling with the lightswitch, features set with the utmost concentration. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. Suddenly, a huge smile took over his face, threatening to break it in two. "Oooooooooooooo..... I get it!"  
  
Letting out a whimper, Chloe buried her head deeper in the cushions.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Tiredly getting out of her car, Ace grumbled as she dragged herself over to the Sullivan home. It was almost 5 AM, and she had school tomorrow. True, she wasn´t looking forward to it like Chloe obviously was to her interview with Baldy, but that didn´t mean it wasn´t important. Ace, an avid vegetarian, had to dissect some innocent little creature in a few hours, and she needed to be awake if she was ever going to give her teacher the full-fledged animal rights and humane morals rant she´d been practising the entire week.  
  
Arriving at the porch steps, her still sleeping feet were moving in slowmotion and she stumbled cumsily over the steps, dropping her keys in the process. Cursing colourfully, the girl bent down to pick them up. "Damn keys. In on the conspiracy too." As she looked up again, her eyes practically popped out of their sockets and a scream resounded through the night´s thick silence. Loosing her footing entirely, she fell backwards, landing roughly on the ground.  
  
Blinking a few times, Ace tried to regain her bearings and slowly picked herself up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. Hesitantly, looked back at what had almost scared her into having a heartattack and saw her brother pressed up against the window, wide open eyes staring at absolutely nothing, seemingly making some sort of sound. He looked like a squashed bug.  
  
´I´m still asleep. Having a nightmare. Definately a nightmare.´  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Upon hearing a scream, Chloe sprung from the couch she had been starting to see as her deathbed, and practically flew to the frontdoor, almost forgetting to open the door first. Watching her through dazed eyes, Whitney let out a girly giggle and turned to run after her, only to trip over his own feet, falling facefirst on the floor. Lucky for him, he was already sound-asleep on impact.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Barging outside, Chloe forced herself not to shiver as the cool air hit her skin. Her face lit up as she saw a non-jock friend standing in front of her porch, and immediately, she pulled Ace into the house, not even bothering to ask the girl what had her so dumbfounded. Jarod was a pretty disturbing sight, indeed.  
  
"What took you so long?" she questioned, disappearing into the kitchen.  
  
"I had to get dressed first," Ace answered, rolling her eyes. "Then I had to sneak out without waking my folks. I'm not really experienced in that particular field, unlike Jarod." Her gaze flew down as her foot bumped into something. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised at what she saw there, but it was just too... too... ridiculous. 'Is Whitney drooling?'  
  
She was pulled from her musings as Chloe returned, balancing two cups of coffee on a tray. Ace frowned. "For the guys?"  
  
"Nope." Plopping down in a comfortable armchair, Chloe put the tray down and grabbed one of the cups, downing it in a few large gulps. "We need it more."  
  
TBC  
  
  
  
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I know, I know. What happened to the chlex? Don't worry. I promise you, the interview will be in the next chapter.


	13. Hell's Fury and Women Scorned

**Part 13: Hell's Fury and Women Scorned**  
  
  
"You couldn't have had worser timing," Lex spoke into the phone, voice strained as he was trying to remain civil to the man who just couldn't stop making his life more miserable.  
  
"Son," Lionel's stern voice came from the other line. "He is your brother. Your blood. You can't just turn your back on him. Especially when he needs you most."  
  
Resisting the insane urge to race over to Metropolis and beat the living hell out of his 'father', Lex rubbed his temples to warn off the migraine he felt coming on. "Why can't you just hire someone to babysit him? It's not like you can't afford it."  
  
"Don't you think I would've tried that already? It's useless," Lionel said, a tinge of annoyance seeping in his tone. "The boy just can't seem to stay out of trouble. And since I need to leave on a business trip in two hours, it's up to you to take care of him. Don't let me down, son."  
  
Hearing the dialtone, Lex let out a heavy sigh before putting the phone back into its cradle and looking up at the young man sitting on the other side of his office, sprawled out on the leather sofa.  
  
"So," Lucas beamed, sounding way too cheery for his brother's liking. "Just you and me, huh?"  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
The only sound echoing through the large library was that of a pen tapping agitatedly against a notebook, apart from the occasional sounds of frustration coming from the blonde. She was pissed. She was truly and utterly pissed. No one made her wait for one whole fucking hour! No one! Especially when the person in question had downed about a hundred cups of coffee within the timeframe of a few hours.  
  
Chloe was beyond herself, ready to pounce on the first person she set eyes on. As soon as the personnel had noticed the homicidal twinkle in her eyes, they had been smart enough not to get anywhere near the girl.  
  
Too busy thinking of ways to castrate that damned Lex, she failed to notice the arrival of another Luthor.  
  
Lucas was casually strolling through the many corridors when he passed the library and something caught his eye. Taking a few steps back, he peeked in and got a clear view of this gorgeous creature sitting on the couch. Almost instantly, a predatory grin spread across his handsome features, and he was about to enter when their gazes locked. It was like a murderous fire ignited in her eyes. "Oh fuck." And gone he was.  
  
Further down the corridor, Lex was trying to walk as fast as possible without running, only to see his younger brother heading in his direction, seemingly more than a bit upset. "Lex!" Lucas practically yelled, actually relieved to see the bald guy. "There's some chick in the library that desperately wants to talk to you." 'Rather him six feet under than me.'  
  
"Sullivan," Lex breathed, looking past Lucas towards the blonde striding towards them. He could swear he heard her growl.  
  
"Luthor," she barked back, making it sound like the most disgusting thing in the world. "What the (expletive) were you thinking!"  
  
"Chloe, I can explain-"  
  
"Don't you 'Chloe' me. It's still Miss Sullivan to you, you (expletive)," she hissed and Lex could already feel a rant coming on. "I've been waiting in that (explective) chamber for 60 minutes now, and if you hadn't been aware of it before, I'm not the most patient person in the world. If you ask me to be here at ten, I'm here at ten. I don't (expletive) show up an HOUR late! It was YOU who arranged this! I skipped school for you, (expletive)! You've got a dozen lackeys here, and it was too much trouble to just have them inform me that you'll be running late? You've got to be (several expletives) kiddin' me! And as if that wasn't enough, I've got Shakespeare staring me in the face, smirking at me with his ridiculous 'thys' and 'thous'! I swear, if those boys weren't drunk last night, I never would've let them bunk in my room. My bed sheets smell like (expletive) alcohol. Do you KNOW how many times you've gotta wash them to get that stench out? Well, I'd tell ya, but it's still there! Yes, sir! And now I'm gonna (expletive) lose my baby Torch, all because you don't find me important enough to waste your precious time on!" Lucas was practically quivering, while Lex just stood there, shocked.  
  
"You had two guys in your bed?"  
  
"Will you shut the (expletive) up! I'm not done yet!" She raged, now standing dangerously close to him. Lucas was trying to be as quiet as possible, praying to god his imitation of an inanimate object was enough to keep him from being on the receiving end of this extremely dangerous looking girl's wrath. One line just kept repeating in his mind, stating something that hadn't been clear to him up untill now. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'  
  
Lex waited for the next flow of angry words to hit him, but when nothing came, his eyebrows raised questionly at the petite woman. "Done?" Her mouth opened and it looked as if she was gonna start again, but all that came out was a loud grumble.  
  
"Thank god," came Lucas' rather shaky response from behind them, filled with intense relief. The next thing they heard were footsteps thundered down the hallway. Even though the urge to break out into a ful-blown run was almost tempting, he could just restrain himself from it until he rounded the corner. At the small tinge of guilt for leaving his brother behind, he told himself that it wasn't as if he'd known Lex for that long of a time, anyway. 'Each man for himself, buddy.'

**TBC**


End file.
